Giotto di Bondone: Late Gothic Painter

Giotto

• An artist of the Late Gothic Painting period.
• Giotto di Bondone lived from 1266-1337.
• Likely the first artist known by name in European painting.
• Became famous during his lifetime, unlike medieval artists regarded as craftsmen.
• Lead the revival of art and worked in fresco.
• Patrons included the Pope and Enrico Scrovegni.
• Studied under Cimabue, but quickly surpassed him.
• Pioneered a unique style characterized by realistic depictions and illusion of depth on a flat surface.
• Developed the fresco technique, working on fresh, wet plaster which proved more durable than painting on dry plaster.
• Rediscovered the art of creating the illusion of depth on a flat surface which had not been seen since classical times.
• Employed light, shade, correct proportions, and foreshortening to create the illusion of reality.
• Conveyed human emotion through facial expressions and life-like gestures, setting his work apart.
• While working for Enrico Scrovegni in the Arena Chapel in Padua, he produced a series of influential frescos about the life of Christ.
• Work was commissioned by Enrico Scrovegni around 1306, to atone for his sins of usury, hoping to get into heaven.
• The chapel is painted in fresco, there is little of the more conservative medium of painting on wood panels.
• Created the illusion of architectural space for figures.
• Included empty rooms with oil lanterns, indicating a sense of space with light and shadow.
• Figures of Christ are often shown in side profile, which derives from the Roman tradition of coinage.
• Scenes are meant to be read from left to right, such as "The Arrest of Christ (The Kiss of Judas)".
• "The Arrest of Christ (The Kiss of Judas)" depicts the moment Judas leads the Romans to arrest Christ.
• In "The Arrest of Christ (The Kiss of Judas)", Judas identifies Christ to the guards by kissing him.
• The focal point in "The Arrest of Christ (The Kiss of Judas)" is the heads of both Christ and Judas, arguably the kiss itself.
• In "The Arrest of Christ (The Kiss of Judas)", both Christ and Judas are highlighted by Judas' brighter cloak.
• In "The Arrest of Christ (The Kiss of Judas)", half the composition is taken up by torches and spears, leading the viewer toward Christ and Judas.
• In "The Arrest of Christ (The Kiss of Judas)", Christ is highlighted against the dark background by his halo.
• Has been known to create an illusion of depth within a crowd by overlapping figures, obscuring them behind each other.
• His figures are cut off at the edge of the composition suggests active movement.
• In some works one of the figures has his back to the viewer and looks to be pulling something from outside the space.
• In some figures their feet are foreshortened.
• Surrounding Christ and Judas in art is often a scene of chaos contrasting by a sense of acceptance in the features of Jesus.
• Some pieces show St. Peter fighting to save Christ, as he cuts off a guard's ear with a knife.
• There is effective use of fabric and clothing to convey a variety of figure poses.
• The movement of the crowd is exaggerated by the folds of the drapery.
• Giotto’s composition creates the sense of movement because the figures are cropped.
• In "The Lamentation of Christ", Christ's figure is the point of focus.
• In "The Lamentation of Christ", the mountain slopes downwards and the angels swoop and dive downwards.
• In "The Lamentation of Christ", the figure groupings create a spatial frame around the body.
• In "The Lamentation of Christ", Christ’s pale frame appears in contrast against the blue of Virgin Mary clothing.
• Strove to depict the emotions the characters are feeling in facial expressions.
• In some works the mother Mary cradles the son while Mary Magdalene cradles the feet.
• Giotto uses dramatic poses to convey the emotions of the portrayed characters.
• Made some errors in the difficult foreshortening of the far hand in "St. John Flinging His arms Wide in Despair".
• Painted the little figures of the mourning angels were like a series of exercises in figure foreshortening.
• Included Fabric wraps around a figure to convey form by showing the women in the foreground.
• Though the figures are beautifully modelled in light and shadow' shadows aren't cast in the painting.
• The landscape setting depicts a craggy mountain with a dead tree in the top right.
• His depictions appear as no more than a shallow stage to create a foreground, middle ground and background.
• Though the landscape in the fresco may not look naturalistic by today's standards, it was compared to the gold leaf backgrounds of Byzantine influenced art they are revolutionary.
• Created environments for the figures to exist within.
• Ten years after his death, the plague swept through Europe, bringing terror and pessimism.
• Patrons began to commission works in the older, more solemn style with gold backgrounds to get back into God's good graces.
• A hundred years passed before other artists started to use Giotto's innovations.

The Renaissance Italy 1400s (15th Century)

• Renaissance is a French word meaning rebirth.
• It was an intellectual movement based on humanism, started in Florence, and spread through Europe during the 15th century.
• Quattrocento means four hundred, or the 1400s.
• Cinquecento means five hundred, or the 1500s.

Humanism Movement

• A cultural and political movement
• Humanists studied the cultures and ideas of ancient Greece and Rome.
• Included Ideas from classical literature, science, art and architecture.
• The Idea that beauty is based on rules of nature.
• Considering Humankind nature’s most perfect creation.
• Said that Humanity is the center of all things.

Artists of the Renaissance

• Artists became valued as individuals instead of being considered craftsmen.
• Artists were Inspired by ancient, classical art of Rome.
• Sought to understand how it works by studying facial expressions, features and the insides of the body.
• Believed Human figures are perfectly proportioned.
• Were very interested in Movement.
• They realistically showed Space in paintings using skilled perspective.
• They described distances between objects in proportion to the viewer.

Changes from Medieval to Renaissance Art

• Architecture saw a shift from vertical to horizontal buildings.
• Architecture saw buildings "hugging the ground", and antique building methods rediscovered.
• Sculpture shifted from unrealistic, symbolic statues to Renaissance sculptures celebrating the human form.
• Painting saw the shift from Medieval gold backgrounds to a realistic three-dimensional world with perfectly proportioned human figures.
• In terms of Patronage, the Church lost control over all artistic production and Patrons began to commission work to improve their social standing.
• Patrons competed for artists to work for them and began to be featured more prominently in the artworks.

Filippo Brunelleschi

• Credited with discovering (or possibly rediscovering) the rules of linear perspective.
• Around 1413, he created techniques for using linear perspective in order to realistically represent architecture.
• His discoveries greatly influence how modern people view two dimensional art.
• Creator of the Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy, which was built between 1420 and 1436.
• Major innovation was to build the Dome without a supporting structure.
• The Dome consists of two distinct domes: one internal, more than two metres thick, deeper angle.
• The domes Consist of arches held together by ribs, and bricks arranged in a "herringbone" pattern.
• The external dome covered with terracotta tiles and marked by eight white marble ribs.
• The dome remains the largest masonry dome ever built, even more than 500 years later.
• Some of the secrets of the construction of Brunelleschi's dome are still an enigma.

Masaccio (1401-1428)

• The greatest of the painters in Florence during the first half of the Quattrocento.
• The first painter to continue what Giotto had started a century earlier.
• Figures had weight and form.
• Clothes were realistically modelled, suggesting the pose of the body underneath.
• Created extreme depth in works by using linear perspective.
• A close friend of Brunelleschi and Donatello, the architects.
• Influenced by Brunelleschi's studies of perspective, while Donatello's studies of anatomy and ancient sculptures were also important to him.
• Used a single light source in compositions to create greater contrast between light and shade and create a more realistic subject.
• Best known work is a series of frescoes in the Brancacci chapel in Florence that concern scenes from the life of St. Peter.

The Tribute Money

• Depicts one of Christ’s miracles.
• Depicts the story of how the apostles were asked to pay a tax on the way into a city.
• Christ tells St. Peter to catch a fish and with the large sum of money from the fish’s mouth satisfies the tax collector.
• Christ gives Saint Peter the order to catch the fish, located in the centre surrounded by disciples
• On the left of the composition St. Peter withdraws the money from the fish’s mouth.
• St. Peter give the money to the tax collector, located on the extreme right.
• Features perspective and modelling in the building and mountainous hills on the right of the composition.
• Created space through the colour relationships of the figures in the foreground..
• Has evident use of linear perspective evident is in the building on the right, and the atmospheric perspective is in the hills on the left
• Demonstrates the ability to paint solid figures that are planted firmly on the ground.
• The sense of weight is exaggerated by the figures casting a shadow.
• Each character has individual facial expressions and gestures.
• Uses foreshortening in the figure of the tax collector, who faces away from the viewer.
• Posed problems in foreshortening, he assures how he deals with the thrust of the tax collectors hand.
• Overlapped figures to create the idea of a crowd.
• Utilised the halos of the apostles were, depicting them as elliptical discs in linear perspective.

The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden

• Located to the left of the Tribute money on the East wall of the Brancacci Chapel.
• Tells the story in Genesis of Adam and Eve disobeying God and being banished from the Garden of Eden.
• Has a very simple composition with only Adam, Eve, and the Angel.
• The subject matter is very concise by removing all unnecessary details.
• The Angel carries a sword, his identity as the Angel of Justice.
• The light through the archway is a symbol for God’s presence.
• Adam and Eve are depicted naked.
• The work features the first painted life size nude figures since classical art.
• The figures are treated sculpturally and cast shadows.
• Other than a hint of a barren landscape there is almost nothing in the background.
• In the foreground the figures emerge from the gateway to the Garden of Eden.
• The arch of the gateway is foreshortened dramatically.
• The light source from the right is a reflection of the light source of the actual chapel window.
• Tonal contrast cast upon the figures adds drama to the scene.
• Shows the feeling conveyed by both Adam and Eve by portraits of despair and humiliation..
• Even holds her head back and releases an agonising scream, Ada covers his face and appears to be weeping heavily.
• Depth is created through the modeling of light and dark on the figures, the foreshortened Angel that flies into the composition, and sharp perspective within the gateway.

The Trinity

• The fresco ‘The Holy Trinity’ is in Santa Maria Novella in Florence.
• The strong use of perspective creates the illusion that we are looking up from ground level.
• The focal point is Christ the Holy Trinity in the center of the composition.
• Christ is on the cross, God the Father supports the cross and between the heads of Christ and God is the Holy Spirit.
• Mary and St. John are all positioned within the arch.
• The patrons, Lorenzo Cardoni and his wife kneel on the step just beneath the arch.
• Mary ,one of the non-divine beings,is to the left and looks directly at the viewers.
• One of the figures is a skeleton meant to to represent mortality and that life is fleeting.
• With the skeleton is written a message which translates as, ‘I was once what you are and what I am you will become’.
• So well did Masaccio interpret Brunelleschi’s theories of perspective it was believed Brunelleschi had taken part in the painting.

Donatello (Donatodi Nicccolo) 1386-1466

• Considered to be the greatest European sculptor of the fifteenth century.
• A master of all aspects of sculpture, creating in a variety of materials from marble, bronze, terracotta, stone and wood.
• Studied Roman sculpture, this was his source of inspiration never overlooking the details of his studies.
• Stands out among the other sculptors of the Quattrocento, His work is the a prime example of the revival of classical Roman sculpture.
• Donatello could depict a diversity of characters by depicting age, mentality and mood.
• A master of expression in sculpture during his life time no one could match his range of expression.
• He represented intensity, an untraditional style.
• Known for St. George (1417)
• Created for an exterior alcove facing the street outside the Church of Orsanmichele in Florence.
• Its now held at Italy’s National Museum the Bargello. it was commissioned by the Florentine Guild of Armorers who was the patron Saint of soldiers and armorers.
• St. George as a subject of the Renaissance. He stood to tell a story containing a dragon or a serpent that was later known as the symbol of Christian victory.
• Donatello's scupture of St. George makes a striking figure standing 208cm tall in stone or another material.
• Its believe Donatello used a model rather than other sculptures to design the piece.
• His facial expression and pose suggests great concentration and determination with a confident and natural pose.
• Its theorized the statues right hand originally held a sword possibly pointing to the street.
• St. George’s head once had a helmet the manufactured protected product of the guild.
• Both sword and helmet have since disappeared with its placement indicated by drill holes
• The base represents battle, with a marble relief that depicts St. George and the dragon.
• His tiny rectangle spans the same with of George's feet and the top has George's horse and tail rearing back in the wind.
• Has a scene to represents St. George bringing Christianity to Asia Minor.
• Acts as a symbol: St. George is the symbol for Christianity, the maiden is Asia Minor and the dragon represents paganism In this case it represents his victory over over evil politics.
• Donnatello rejected using a flat background, or little indication of atmosphere.
• Rejected using cloud or atmosphere and created hills and valleys that cast shadows.

David

• Possibly Donatello's most famous bronze sculpture that stands at 158cm tall.
• The first free standing nude since antiquity.
• Represents the independent Florentine republic who slayed Goliath by order.
• The gothic church originally considered it improper but Adam and Eve or sinners in hell appeared this way
• Donatello dared a bare body where only religious clothed figures had stood prior.
• This was his interest in roman art, that beauty, grace of appearance representsinner spirit and purity.
• Its model in a youthful shepherd is made in a graceful turning pose
• He rests his foot on Goliath’s helmeted head.
• The base is made of a Laurel wreath.

Mary Magdalene

• Free standing work carved in rugged stone and what may be Donatello's most expressive work.
• Now in the Duomo Museum
• One of the three women who walked with Jesus, was with Mary ,St.John at his crucixfication and witnessed his Ressurection.
• She may include a unctions, and be portrayed with unkept hair
• Appears to be beggin God for forgiveness, the classical compisision is over six feet tall.
• The body is ruggedly emaciated it has a new psycological intensity that hadnt been seen prior.
• Has details of sunken eyes,withered cheeks and an open mouth.
• It was origibally gilded in gold and painted only to be lost overtime and removed.

Michelangelo

• A well renowned Florentine sculptor, painter and architect.
• Apprenticed to Domenico Ghirlandaio at 13 he developed fresco techniques.
• He mad drawings influened by Giaotto, clearly seen in the weight and volume.
• Studied the work of Leondaro da Vinci which became a source of inspiriation
• Often Depicted the nude male with a feelling of of power.
• He considered himself a sculpor but painted as well, with modelled sculptural figues.
• Used plain backgrounds to emphasize his figures, and used Contrapposto or contraposition the twisted and contorted pose.

The Pieta

• Created in 1499 it sits in St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and it what the first large scale masterpiece at 23 yrs old.
• Signifying the the virgin mary
• The work is heavy and large for stability crafted from Carrara marbel that was contrasted with smooth to smooth the waves of fabric.
• It uses a shape as the triangular pyramyd whre she suport the the body of Jesus on her lap
• The figures are idealised ad the drama us restrained wereas a true to how mary was at 33
• Jesus has a non Italian look here with the a tree trump suporting both weights.
• The statues was alter atack in 1972 after knocking off the arm.
• Has a subltal signature in her the folds on her leaft hand.

David

• Sits in Florence in the 'Galleria dell Accademia where he represents the youth before the figure and stands resting .
• A nude since ancient Rome that is now nicknamed 'The Giant' at 4.5 meter tall and over thee times life size.
• It was supposed top sit in Florence but the governours instead placed it in city enter making it there patron saints who defeated rome as the goliaths.
• Michelaneglo contorto by creating the body and limbs to large that where originally made to stand on top of a piller.
• The work was vandalized early on and is now in a museum but orinally had gold garments.